Pressure Groups Flashcards
Name 2 types of pressure group
Sectional - clearly defines groups/represents a section of society e.g Farmer’s Union, Unite
They have a formal membership
Causal - Focus on an issue - Extinction rebellion, Stop the War, Liberty (Human Rights causes)
What are Insider Methods?
Pressure groups who govt consultdue to their expertise e..g British Medical Assoc
Pressure groups with links to political parties e.g Trade Unions fund Labour, Taxpayer Alliance Alliance and the Conservatives
Paying lobbyists to seek influence
What are outsider methods?
Social media campaigns and petitions
Demonstrations and rallies
Some pressure groups engage in civil obedience e.g blocking transport routes or occupying buildings
Trade Unions can use industrial action
What factors affect pressure groups successess
Resources - finances, members and online reach
Ideological compatability with the government or a political party
Popularity to gain public support
Expertise on an issue
Methods - civil disobedience, industrial action. Supporters say this forces the govt to take action
Opponents say civil disobedience reduces popularity could lead to sentences. The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 allowed police to create offences against protester creating a public nuisance
What were the aims, actions and results of Marcus Rashford’s Free School Meals campaign?
Aim - Free school meals in the hols 2020
. Actions - petition - 1 mil signatures. Rash has 3 mi Twitter followers. Set up a Task Force, worked with the Charity Fareshare
Results - Govt provided free dinners in summer 2020, but not Oct half term. So thousands of businesses pledged support and 4 million on a winter grant scheme
What were the aims, actions and results of the Confederation of British Industry?
Aims - represent 1,500 business and 140 trade associations to promote business interests
Actions - Priorities manage rising costs, promote economic growth, post-Covid recovery
Actions lobbying govt, met Chancellor and Business secretary
Johnson and Starmer made speeches at CBI conference 2021
Published research needs of British business
Results - convinced govt to reduce self isolation period for covid to 5 days, remove covid travel arrangements, replace funding lost by leaving EU research programme Horizon, cut VAT on energy saving materials
What are the aims, actions and results of Just Stop Oil?
Get the govt to commit to stop the use of fossil fuels
Actions - civil disobedience at Prem and F1 events, sabotaging petrol pumps, glueing themselves to art works
Results - most people support the aims, but oppose the actions. THE PCSC act has mae it harder for hem to use these methods
What are the aims, actions and results of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport workers RMT?
Aims - stop network rail from cutting jobs and want a pay increase to 7%
Actions - largest industrial action since 1989, multiple strikes since June 2022
Results Govt and Labour criticised the strikes
July 2022 a new law was passed introducing minimum service levels which have to be maintained suring strikes
March 2023 strikes paused after a new pay offer
Are pressure groups good for democracy?
Encourage political engagement via petitions, soc media and Pressure groups membership - RSPB has 1 mil members
Raises public awareness e.g Rashford
Protects minorities e.g Muslim Council of GB provided evidence for the Home Affairs Select Committee on radicalisation nd challenges mirepresnettaion of Islam
Wealthier PG have disproprtionate influence due to lobbying
Only PG ideologically compatible with the government are listened to
They are undemocratic. Group leaders are not elected
What are think tanks?
Can have political leanings e.g Adam Snith Institute, Fabian Soc or cross party e.g Demos
They provide ideas
Some have questioned their academic rigour
What do you know about the Think Tank The Fabian Society?
Let wing, suggest policies for the Labour party, publish articles and reports, organise conference and discussions
Every Labour MP has been a Fabian - Keir Starmar was part of the exec board and has published essays with them
They helped new labour develop policies on tax - such as plans to increase national insurance to fund the NHS
what are lobbyists?
Paid for by clients who want access to the government to influence legislation
Some see them as a way of buying influence e.g in 2015 formed home secretary Jack Straw and Malcolm Rifkind were filemed offering access for cash. Straw was paid 60 k a year to use his influence and change EU rules
Rifkind offered access to UK ambassadors for 5K
How are lobbyists being controlled?
Have to register activities if they discuss policy/legislation with ministers or civil servants
What are the positives about lobbyists?
They enable all sides of the debate to be heard- they helped repeal the gin act in 2008 enabling the growth of boutique gins
What was the Hanbury Strategy?
In the pandemic the gov paid Hanbury £648,000 for researching public attitudes and behaviours in relation to the pandemic
